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Breeding blanket
A breeding blanket is a device used in nuclear engineering to transmute quantities of an element, using the neutron flux from a fission reactor or fusion reactor. In the fission context, breeding blankets have been used since the 1950s in breeder reactors, to manufacture fission fuel from fertile material. In the fusion context, they have been conceptualized for the manufacture of tritium from lithium-6. In both scenarios, neutron radiation is converted into thermal energy in the blanket, leading it to require its own cooling system.
Breeder reactors come in two types: thermal and fast. The former use thermal neutrons to activate thorium-232, ultimately producing uranium-233:
![{\displaystyle {{\mathrm {^{232}_{90}Th} }{}+{}{\vphantom {A}}_{\hphantom {0}}^{\hphantom {1}}{\mkern {-1.5mu}}{\vphantom {A}}_{{\vphantom {2}}{\llap {\smash[{t}]{0}}}}^{{\smash[{t}]{\vphantom {2}}}{\llap {1}}}\mathrm {n} {}\mathrel {\longrightarrow } {}[{\text{(n,}}\mathrm {\gamma } {\text{)}}]~{\mathrm {^{233}_{90}Th} }{}\mathrel {\xrightarrow[{\text{21.8 min}}]{\mathrm {\beta } {\vphantom {A}}^{-}}} {}{\mathrm {^{233}_{91}Pa} }{}\mathrel {\xrightarrow[{\text{27 days}}]{\mathrm {\beta } {\vphantom {A}}^{-}}} {}{\mathrm {^{233}_{92}U} }}}](https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/49cef3443ec0a487d2f0a49be9e37b6afb530092)
The latter use fast neutrons to activate uranium-238, ultimately producing plutonium-239:
![{\displaystyle {{\vphantom {A}}_{\hphantom {92}}^{\hphantom {238}}{\mkern {-1.5mu}}{\vphantom {A}}_{{\vphantom {2}}{\llap {\smash[{t}]{92}}}}^{{\smash[{t}]{\vphantom {2}}}{\llap {238}}}\mathrm {U} {}+{}{\mkern {2mu}}{\vphantom {A}}_{\hphantom {0}}^{\hphantom {1}}{\mkern {-1.5mu}}{\vphantom {A}}_{{\vphantom {2}}{\llap {\smash[{t}]{0}}}}^{{\smash[{t}]{\vphantom {2}}}{\llap {1}}}\mathrm {n} {}\mathrel {\longrightarrow } {}{\mkern {2mu}}{\vphantom {A}}_{\hphantom {92}}^{\hphantom {239}}{\mkern {-1.5mu}}{\vphantom {A}}_{{\vphantom {2}}{\llap {\smash[{t}]{92}}}}^{{\smash[{t}]{\vphantom {2}}}{\llap {239}}}\mathrm {U} {}\mathrel {\xrightarrow[{23.5\ \mathrm {min} }]{\mathrm {\beta } {\vphantom {A}}^{-}}} {}{\mkern {2mu}}{\vphantom {A}}_{\hphantom {93}}^{\hphantom {239}}{\mkern {-1.5mu}}{\vphantom {A}}_{{\vphantom {2}}{\llap {\smash[{t}]{93}}}}^{{\smash[{t}]{\vphantom {2}}}{\llap {239}}}\mathrm {Np} {}\mathrel {\xrightarrow[{2.356\ \mathrm {d} }]{\mathrm {\beta } {\vphantom {A}}^{-}}} {}{\mkern {2mu}}{\vphantom {A}}_{\hphantom {94}}^{\hphantom {239}}{\mkern {-1.5mu}}{\vphantom {A}}_{{\vphantom {2}}{\llap {\smash[{t}]{94}}}}^{{\smash[{t}]{\vphantom {2}}}{\llap {239}}}\mathrm {Pu} }}](https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/82ce1242e17771c64b8898dc888e1bdf721cd883)
Historically the production of both was more common in rod assemblies, such as in the Hanford Site and Mayak nuclear weapons production facilities. However, blankets are used to minimize the neutron and energy loss rate. Examples include the Experimental Breeder Reactor I and Shippingport Atomic Power Station initial core in the 1950s.
In conceptual fusion power plants, including both magnetic and inertial confinement schemes, a breeding blanket can serve multiple purposes:
It is only the breeding portion that cannot be replaced by other means. For instance, a large quantity of water makes an excellent cooling system and neutron shield, as in the case of a conventional nuclear reactor. However, tritium is not a naturally occurring resource, and thus is difficult to obtain in sufficient quantity to run a reactor through other means, so if commercial fusion using the D-T cycle is to be achieved, successful breeding of the tritium in commercial quantities is a requirement.
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Breeding blanket AI simulator
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Breeding blanket
A breeding blanket is a device used in nuclear engineering to transmute quantities of an element, using the neutron flux from a fission reactor or fusion reactor. In the fission context, breeding blankets have been used since the 1950s in breeder reactors, to manufacture fission fuel from fertile material. In the fusion context, they have been conceptualized for the manufacture of tritium from lithium-6. In both scenarios, neutron radiation is converted into thermal energy in the blanket, leading it to require its own cooling system.
Breeder reactors come in two types: thermal and fast. The former use thermal neutrons to activate thorium-232, ultimately producing uranium-233:
The latter use fast neutrons to activate uranium-238, ultimately producing plutonium-239:
Historically the production of both was more common in rod assemblies, such as in the Hanford Site and Mayak nuclear weapons production facilities. However, blankets are used to minimize the neutron and energy loss rate. Examples include the Experimental Breeder Reactor I and Shippingport Atomic Power Station initial core in the 1950s.
In conceptual fusion power plants, including both magnetic and inertial confinement schemes, a breeding blanket can serve multiple purposes:
It is only the breeding portion that cannot be replaced by other means. For instance, a large quantity of water makes an excellent cooling system and neutron shield, as in the case of a conventional nuclear reactor. However, tritium is not a naturally occurring resource, and thus is difficult to obtain in sufficient quantity to run a reactor through other means, so if commercial fusion using the D-T cycle is to be achieved, successful breeding of the tritium in commercial quantities is a requirement.